


Valentines' Double Date

by Obsessiveangel



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: F/M, Fluff, fluff fluff fluff, i love these two ships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-16
Updated: 2017-03-16
Packaged: 2018-10-06 04:42:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10325834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Obsessiveangel/pseuds/Obsessiveangel
Summary: Hinami drags Touka and Kaneki out with her on her date with Ayato, claiming to be scared of him. Touken thinks they're doing Hinami a favor and keeping an eye on Ayato for her. Ayahina has other plans.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A fic I posted on Tumblr for Valentines Day.

"Please say yes!" Hinami was almost screaming, as she clasped her hands together and leaned forward in a perfect bow. Kaneki and Touka blinked in disbelief for a moment, looking at each other before looking at her again.

"You want us..." Kaneki murmured hesitantly.

"... to follow you and Ayato on your date?" Touka continued, tilting her head in confusion. "But why?"

"B-Because... tomorrow is Valentine's Day and..." Hinami murmured, her cheeks completely flushed as she shifted about uncomfortably. "I feel uneasy going out alone with him."

"Uneasy?" Touka wondered in confusion. "But weren't the two of your partners in Aogiri? You were alone quite a lot, right?"

"Yeah but..." Hinami sighed, took a deep breath and let it out, fingers fumbling with one another. "This is different from that... I just... don't..."

"If you don't want to go, you should tell him—"

"No! I want to go!" Hinami yelped, cutting into Kaneki's words. "But but but... A-Ayato-kun scares me sometime!"

"Oh, is that so?" Kaneki said, turning to Touka with a blank expression. "I don't mind... Is that okay with you, Touka-chan?"

Touka crossed her arms, her glare shifting from Kaneki to Hinami and back to Kaneki. Both were giving her pleading looks— for very different reasons, of course— and Touka knew that it was simply impossible to refuse. But the thought of having to pretend to be Kaneki's date while tagging along her brother's date made her want to slap Hinami for even suggesting it. Though, she had to admit it might be fun.

"Look, I don't have anything against it but are you sure Ayato's okay with it? He might just end up ditching this if we catch him by surprise," Touka responded.

Hinami nodded, picking up her coat from the counter and walking towards the door. "Don't worry! I'll text him right now!" she giggled. "I'm going over to Banjou-san's place for awhile so Onee-chan, Onii-chan, I'll see you tomorrow at 10!" With a wave, Hinami left the coffee shop, a wide smile spreading on her face as she walked away, leaving Touka and Kaneki to stare at each other in confusion— only for a moment, though, before Touka started cleaning some cups and Kaneki started reading whatever it was he had in his hands. As usual, things were awkward. To think that they were going to go on a date along with Ayato and Hinami. Touka wanted to laugh.

* * *

 

The next day, Touka found herself in a predicament. She's had her fair share of romantic confessions (all on the receiving end) back in her school days but never once had she truly stepped into the mysterious realm known as romance. And to think that her first date was a fake date with the One-Eyed King on a guise while they spy on her rebel of a brother. It could go down in history as the most unconventional first date ever.

In the first place, what should she even wear? Something simple? Something provocative (no way in hell)? Something traditional? Something over-the-top modern? A bad girl look? A good girl look? A high schooler look? A cutesy bunny girl look?

"Ah! This is a mess!" Touka cried out. "Yomo-san! I need your help!"

Fortunately, Yomo's room was right next door so it took him mere seconds to come over. It did take him a full minute to get over the fact that Touka was standing in a pile of clothes, rummaging furiously while only in her pyjamas.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going on a... d-d-date... but I... don't know what to—" Touka was cut off as Yomo rushed forward and looked down at her, his arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

"A date?" he asked.

"Yes."

"With whom? When? Where are you going? What time will you be coming back? Who is this person? Parents? What does his parents work as? Are you meeting them? Are you coming home tonight?" Yomo's sudden bombardment made her blink at him in confusion for a moment, trying to make out his words that came out in a torrent far too quick for her to catch easily.

"I'm going with Kaneki... We're just... following Ayato and Hinami," she said, keeping the part about spying on Ayato to herself. "Hina asked us to tag along. We thought it'd be fun."

"Oh, Ayato will be there, huh?" Yomo murmured, his stiff stance relaxing as he looked around the place. "Alright then, let's get you something to wear."

* * *

 

It was fifteen minutes past ten when Touka finally got herself ready, mainly due to the fact that despite Yomo acting all confident, his inexperience in dating actually made choosing an outfit all the more harder. When she finally joined the other three at the cafe, she could tell that Ayato was so close to ripping her head off her shoulders.

"I swear, if I knew you were going to be this late, I would have said no to this stupid thing!" Ayato snarled, glaring at her with all the hate in the world condensed into his pair of eyes. "Now look here, don't mess anything up for Hina and me."

Touka sighed and turned to Kaneki, who fixed her with a weak smile. It didn't take her much by surprise but she was sure Kaneki barely put any thought into his attire at all. He was wearing a simple white shirt and black pants, holding a brown coat in his hands. In contrast, Ayato stood out in every way, even though it was obvious he didn't put any thought into his outfit as well. Leather jacket, jeans and a black scarf was a completely normal Ayato look, fully complemented with the messy hair and almost permanent scowl. Yet Touka somewhat felt jealous that Hinami got the hotter one— even if he was her brother and even if Kaneki and her weren't exactly on a date.

"Let's go! We have a lot to do today!" Hinami said, latching onto Ayato's arm as she smiled at Kaneki and Touka.

"Oh… okay… So, Ayato-kun, what is the plan?" Kaneki asked.

"Beats me," Ayato replied with a bored sigh as Hinami started tugging him to the door.

"We're going to the cinema and then we're going to the aquarium after that," Hinami said with a wide smile. Ayato turned to her, his eyes widening.

"We're seriously going to the aquarium?"

"Didn't you say that you've been meaning to ever since they opened?"

As the two started walking on ahead, deep in their conversation about aquariums and fishes, Kaneki turned to Touka with a questioning look. "Wasn't their date Ayato-kun's idea?" he asked.

Touka merely shrugged in response, following behind the other two. Ayato and Hinami led the way, with Touka and Kaneki following behind quietly. The stark contrast between the two 'couples' were starting to bother her and even though Touka knew that she and Kaneki were not on a real date, she had wanted some fun out of it. She had even gotten Yomo to help her pull on such a cute outfit. Yet Kaneki had seemed oblivious to everything, his eyes fixed completely on Ayato's and Hinami's linked hands. Kaneki was so serious that Touka found her cheeks heating up in embarrassment. Why did she even think that something could happen? Of course this was just another mission to Kaneki— a mission to protect Hinami, probably.

After a while, Touka found herself wondering what even the whole point of following the young couple was. It was clear that Ayato had no ill-intentions whatsoever. In fact, it was clear that Ayato didn't even have any kind of intentions as he blindly followed and agreed with anything and everything Hinami said or did. There was no doubt over who called the shots in that relationship. As Hinami and Ayato went to buy tickets for a movie of Hinami's choice (one Touka could swear Ayato would rather die than watch on any other given day), Touka found herself shifting awkwardly as she and Kaneki stood aside and waited.

"Revenge of the Cockroaches, huh?" Kaneki murmured, looking up the movie on his phone.

"How's it like?" Touka asked, peeking over his shoulders and staring at the screen. The ratings were... really bad.

"Did Ayato-kun really choose this movie?" Kaneki sighed.

"I think it's Hinami's choice. Ayato would probably die rather than watch a film on bugs," Touka pointed out. She realized that she was leaning towards him a little too much and immediately took three steps back. Kaneki glanced at her from the corner of his eye, but there was no other response from him. Touka felt herself sink a little at how awkward things were between them, especially since it was completely different from Ayato and Hinami, who were now in the queue, playfully arguing over something she couldn't hear and definitely having more fun than she was. Unlike her and Kaneki who barely spoke the short moment they had taken to arrive at the cinema, the other two had barely parted, continuously holding hands and chatting between themselves. In the first place, Touka had never thought of the two of them as talkative people. Maybe love played a part in it.

Love?

Touka glanced at Kaneki once more, watching him fumble with his phone again, paying no attention to her at all. Well, someone clearly was not contemplating love that Valentine's Day. With a slight huff, Touka turned away and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms as she watched her brother and his girlfriend a slight distance off.

Why did Ayato manage to get himself such an amazing date when she was still a hopelessly single woman?

It took a short while after that for the two of them to return and the first thing Hinami did was to bow and scream an apology. "We got separate seats by mistake."

"What?" Touka wondered aloud, staring at the younger girl who looked like tears were gathering in her eyes.

"I accidentally mess up the orders," Hinami cried out. "I'm so sorry! But we have two separate pairs of seats now."

"Well, that's not too bad. The boys can take one pair and the girls the other," Kaneki said calmly, taking two tickets from Hinami.

"No way in hell," Ayato snapped.

"Then... I can sit with Hinami and—"

"No way in hell," Ayato snapped again, cutting into Kaneki's words. He wound his arm around Hinami's shoulder, pulling her to him. "I'm on a date with her so we're sitting together. You two awkward lovebirds can take the corner seats and do whatever the fuck you want there."

"Are you okay with that, Hinami?" Touka asked.

Hinami nodded. "I'm fine... To be honest, I want to sit with Ayato-kun and we like our seats but I felt bad because we chose terrible seats for you by mistake."

Seriously, that was what she was about to cry over?

"That's sad," Hinami continued. "If we were humans you could at least eat some popcorn to deal with it but..."

"We could go kill someone and bring their guts in," Ayato suggested.

"Ayato-kun, you're disturbing."

"I'm being honest."

"So am I."

"Well, if the seat is so bad and you can't see the movie, you guys can just do something else to pass the time. You are in an isolated corner, after all," Ayato sniggered suggestively as he started pulling Hinami alone towards the cinema. "Come on now, it's about to start."

Touka's eye twitched at her brother's stupid comment, but Kaneki merely shrugged and started walking on ahead. She couldn't help but start to wonder if this date was just a way for Hinami and Ayato to mess with her. They were having the time of their lives while she was obviously entirely miserable. If anything, Touka was sure she'd rather be back in the cafe listening to Nishiki's stupid valentine tales rather than watch her brother be lovey-dovey with the girl who was almost like a sister to her and deal with Kaneki's boring ass.

* * *

 

Hinami and Ayato had chosen the worst seats for her and Kaneki. However, that wasn't really an issue honestly, since the cinema was almost empty. They could move if they wanted to, but both Kaneki and Touka weren't too keen about the movie and it was a bother to get up after they've already sat down. Aside from the four of them, there was only one other couple present— a pair who clearly came to do something other than watch the movie. But since they were seated at the other end of the cinema, Touka paid no heed to them, her eyes mainly focused on Hinami and Ayato, who still had their arms linked.

"I feel like planting myself in between them," Touka muttered bitterly. Freaking couples and their public display of affections...

"Touka-chan, I think you can relax a little bit," Kaneki chuckled. She turned to him and he flashed her a smile. "I think Ayato-kun and Hinami-chan look really cute together. We don't really have anything to worry about."

Of course he would take it that way.

"They're... really close..." she murmured.

"They've been partners in Aogiri for quite some time already. It's bound to happen between two lonely teenagers," Kaneki pointed out. "Just like... back then, you know." Kaneki's voice dropped a little, his face falling to one of melancholia and nostalgia. Touka turned away for a moment, wondering if his words were brought about by the same flash of memories that was going through her mind as well.

"We were... once lonely teenagers as well, weren't we?" Touka murmured.

"Yes," Kaneki replied. He had turned away as well and the two of them sat side-by-side, eyes fixed on the seats respectively in front of each of them. They were speaking, but the atmosphere around them was heavier than ever, with unspoken words and unexpressed emotions hanging from their words.

"It all seems... so long ago," Touka murmured, "that the two of us were... alone together."

"We were close back then, huh?" Kaneki chuckled. His laugh sounded nothing like a laugh at all and it made her sink all the more. Touka clenched her fist, focusing on her breathing.

The surroundings got darker as the screen came on with images starting to flash on it. Touka paid no heed to it, the brightness and loudness of the commercials playing being overpowered by her own thoughts in her head.

"Kaneki... do you ever want to go back?" she asked.

"Do you?" Kaneki asked, turning to her. She saw his movement from the corner of her eye and instinctively turned to look at him. Kaneki nodded towards where Hinami and Ayato were and Touka followed his gaze to look at them as well. "Going back means not talking to your brother again and becoming enemies again. Are you fine with that? You love him a lot, don't you?"

Kaneki had a point and Touka couldn't deny that. Going back meant stealing the sincere smile her brother had on his face. But even so, going back meant stealing a lot of other things away and among them, losing a lot of despair.

"Going back means having Anteiku back, having the manager back and going back to school. Going back means none of this One-Eyed King bullshit and going back means you're back to being that idiot again," Touka said plainly, turning to him again.

"Going back means becoming weaker," Kaneki said plainly.

"Going back means becoming happier," Touka pointed out.

Kaneki turned away, his eyes returning to the screen. Touka watched him as his eyes clouded in contemplation and his body slouched in dejection. After a short while, Kaneki turned back to her.

"No matter what, we can't go back anyway," he laughed flatly.

Touka sighed, turning away to focus on the movie. The whole scene was simply covered with disgusting brown pests, all gathering towards a much bigger one. Seriously, what was with this movie?

"Kaneki," Touka said flatly. "Hold my hand."

"W-What?"

"We're supposed to be on a date. Hold my hand," she said.

"Oh..." Kaneki reached over and took it, holding it tightly despite his initial surprise. They continued watching the movie for a moment, before Kaneki let out an audible sigh. "Touka-chan?"

"Hm?"

"Is it okay if I lean on you?"

Finally.

"Yeah."

* * *

 

"How's it going?"

Hinami glanced over to the other side of the cinema, squinting a little to make things out in the darkness of the place, wishing for a moment her eyes were as good as her nose and ears.

"They're leaning on each other," Hinami said, turning to Ayato and raising her eyebrow at the sight of him.

"Good."

"Ayato-kun."

"Yeah?"

"Why are you covering your eyes?"

"Cockroaches are fucking disgusting."

"Ayato-kun."

"Yeah?"

"You're hopeless."

* * *

 

By the time the movie was over, it had began to snow somewhat forcefully. Standing out the in the open, the four of them looked up at the sky for a moment, simply watching the sight of snowflakes fall slowly.

"It's getting cold," Hinami commented.

"You should have dressed a little warmer like I told you so," Ayato sighed, unwinding the scarf off from his neck and wrapping it around her. "Come on, let's go someplace warm."

"We're supposed to go to the aquarium," Hinami pointed out.

"We're not walking there in this snowfall. Let's grab a drink at a cafe or something," Ayato sighed.

"Are you sure? Ayato-kun you were really excited about the aquarium," Hinami pointed out.

"We can go there some other time," he said, taking her hand. Even though she had her gloves, her fingers were still numb and shivering and Ayato seemed to notice that. Squeezing her hand lightly, he started pulling her along. "Come on, there's a new cafe that opened recently around here."

"If we're going to a cafe, shouldn't we just go back to :re?" Touka asked. "I didn't bring enough cash."

"Neither did I," Kaneki replied.

Hinami and Ayato glanced at them and Hinami responded with a slight wave. "It's okay! Ayato-kun can pay for us. Besides, it's fun when we don't have everyone around us on a date."

"That's true," Touka sighed. "But I don't know what I feel about my unemployed teenage younger brother paying for me when I am a manager of a cafe."

"I had a well-paying job once, you know," Ayato responded with a slight raise of his eyebrows at Touka's and Kaneki's confused expressions. "What? Do you think I did stuff for Aogiri for free?"

"The SS-rated Rabbit's services are expensive, even in Aogiri!" Hinami chimed in. "Besides, there's my share of the earning and I get quite a bit as well. It's okay, we'll pay for you!"

What were those two? A married couple?

Kaneki and Touka didn't exactly have a choice. They really couldn't refuse, could they? Following behind Ayato and Hinami, Touka mentally fretted over the idea of being treated by them. Sure, they had money but what were the implications of relying on them to pay for them? Deep in her thoughts, Touka was unaware of Kaneki walking closer to her and slowly wrapping his arm around her. By the time she did notice, he had already pulled her closer to him, pressing her small frame against his larger one. He was so much bigger than her now. At one point in time, he was taller but he wasn't that well-built. Kaneki had changed a lot and this was one of the things she couldn't argue against.

"It's getting cold," he said flatly. She looked up at him to see him looking away from her and she wondered if Ayato's little move with his scarf earlier on had spurred this sudden initiative in Kaneki.

"T-Thank you," Touka murmured, leaning into him and easing into his hold. Touka could feel him relax as well. Aside from the warmth his body gave, she could feel a different kind of warmth emerging between them, one that made her smile a little.

"Hey, Kaneki."

"What is it, Touka-chan?"

"You've gotten a lot tougher, huh?"

* * *

 

"The coffee here is disgusting," Ayato whined, resting his head on the table.

"It was your idea to come here in the first place," Touka sighed, smacking him on the head a little. Across them, Hinami and Kaneki laughed.

"Well, it is true that Touka-chan's coffee is much better," Kaneki admitted.

"I think Hinami's coffee is the best," Ayato said, sitting up and grinning at Kaneki.

"I'm sorry, Hinami-chan, but I beg to differ. Touka-chan's coffee is so much better, since she's a manager of a cafe and all. I'm sure one day you'll be just as good as well," Kaneki said. Though his words were directed at Hinami, his eyes remained fixed on Ayato's.

"Nothing beats coming back after a long day of work to Hinami's coffee. The taste of all the love and care put into that small cup is unbeatable. Touka, I'm sorry, but you've never made coffee specially for someone and waited for him to return home as well before, have you? It's okay, one day you'll meet that special someone," Ayato sighed, resting his chin on his hand. Just like Kaneki, Ayato wasn't looking at the person his words were directed at as well. Both of them were staring at each other with smiles plastered on their faces, but the hostility was real and visible.

"Those two get along well, as usual," Hinami giggled.

"Yeah, they do," Touka murmured, picking up her cup and taking a sip of the coffee. Ayato was right. The coffee was bad. At least, she wasn't paying for it with her own hard-earned money.

They chatted a bit for awhile and in that short moment, it didn't feel like it was a date anymore. Maybe it was because it was a more open conversation, or maybe it was because they weren't sitting with their own dates, but even then, Touka found that the smile spreading on her face was a genuine one and the laughter that bubbled out between her lips came from deep within her. The people with her now— a small collection of the most important people to her— made her realize how everything was falling into place for once in the mess she had called her life. Not everyone was there, of course, but watching Kaneki laugh from the bottom of his heart after a long, solemn facade as their King, Hinami's eyes sparkle in a way they never had after her parents' death and Ayato cracking lighthearted jokes so unlike of his usual bitter self made her honestly grateful that Hinami had offered for her to come along— even if it was at circumstances different from this.

"I need to drop by the washroom for a moment," Kaneki said, getting up and pushing past Hinami to get out.

"Oh, I'll come with you. I need to go to," Ayato said, glancing at Hinami for a moment before following behind Kaneki.

Touka watch them disappear into the corner of the store, before she sighed and turned to Hinami. "That's so unusual of guys, though."

Hinami giggled a little, before her smiling face fell to a more serious one. "Onee-chan, are you happy?" she asked all of a sudden.

"Happy?"

"Are you happy you came along?" Hinami asked. "To be honest, I didn't ask you to come along because I was afraid of Ayato-kun. Ayato-kun and I have been on dates so many times before. If anything, I feel safer when I'm with him."

Touka remained silent for a moment, considering her words. She had expected something like that, to be honest. There was no way she was afraid of him when they were practically all over each other. "Hey, Hinami. What exactly do you see in that idiot?"

"Everything. I don't think there's anything about him that's bad," Hinami replied. "Ayato-kun is violent and sometimes, he gets really moody and cranky. But he's a good person and despite all his flaws, he looked after me in Aogiri and came for me when I was in trouble. Ayato-kun gets really angry easily and he does things rashly, but I think it's because of these things that he managed to find the courage to leave Aogiri and save me."

"I see," Touka murmured, taking another sip of her coffee. It really was bad, and it wasn't helping the bitter taste left in her mouth by Hinami's words.

"Onee-chan, Onii-chan to you is the same, isn't it?" Hinami asked. "Though I'm sure it's more complicated that what Ayato-kun and I share, I feel like he's important to you just like Ayato-kun is to me."

"Kaneki... is a lot harder to understand, that's for sure," Touka laughed flatly. "But you're right. Kaneki is a good person under everything. You out of all people will know that. I feel like he's lost and confused now and that everything is probably weighing on him far too much. I'm scared, Hinami. I'm scared one day he might break."

"Onii-chan has been broken many times but everytime, he comes out stronger than ever," Hinami replied, flashing a smile. Her words were true and her reassuring tone made Touka smile back in return as well. Hinami reached over and held one of Touka's hands, squeezing it lightly. "I'm sure that what Onii-chan needs right now is someone to stand by him and support him and to help him pick up everything that has fallen. Onee-chan, I'm sure that you being by his side is enough to make him feel better."

"I... sure hope so," Touka murmured and in returned, Hinami grinned a little. Her smile looked more akin to a smirk and Touka wondered if Ayato's influence was rubbing off on her.

"Onee-chan, I _know_ so, because in the end, I always believe that Onii-chan and Onee-chan are meant to be together!"

* * *

 

"Oi, half-ass."

Kaneki turned to Ayato with a raised eyebrow. "Ayato-kun, why did you follow me here if all you're going to do is stand there?"

"I came here to talk, idiot," he snapped, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. "Well?"

"Well what? If you're the one who wants to talk, shouldn't I be asking you that?" Kaneki said flatly, leaning over the sink and washing his hands under the running water. Ayato scolwed.

"You know, I still fucking hate you."

"Thanks. I return the sentiment."

Ayato scowled again, sighing to calm himself down before he lost his calm. "Now, about my sister..."

"You guys were planning to set us up, weren't you?" Kaneki murmured. "It was pretty obvious that there was nothing Hinami was afraid of when she was with you."

"Hinami wanted you guys to be happy for once," Ayato said. "She wanted it so bad that I agreed to let you guys crash this date I was looking forward to so badly."

"I could see that. Ayato-kun, you shouldn't stick your nose into other people's business."

"Your relationship with my sister is my business, since, you know, she is my sister."

Kaneki sighed. Reaching over to take a couple of paper towels to wipe his hands on. "I figured you wouldn't like me close to her."

"I don't," he admitted. "But, you make her happy and there's nothing I can do about that. Besides, I know you won't hurt her... physically, at least. But if you do ever hurt her..."

"Ayato-kun is the last person I want talking to me about hurting Touka-chan," Kaneki chuckled a little. Ayato scowled once more and Kaneki fixed him with a gentle smile. "I... do like Touka-chan a lot. But things now are too difficult for us to take anything further."

"I... see," Ayato murmured. "But does that mean you do intend to take it further?"

"If... I get the chance to... yes, I would like to," Kaneki said. "But with things as it is and with the Goats—"

"Just fucking man up and get on with it already," Ayato cut in. "Everyone can sense that tension between you guys and if anything that's what riles everyone up. The whole of of our team know you guys have a thing for each other so like fucking do something about it. With all this One-Eyed King bullshit going on, isn't it better you do it faster? We might die any time and when that happens, it's too late for regrets."

"But Touka-chan—"

"Loves you and care for you," Ayato snapped, cutting in again. Kaneki blinked at him, slouching his shoulders a little as he looked down to stare at his hands. Ayato scowled again, but continued talking anyway. "She has for such a long time. That's why she endured all that shit. That's why she made a place for you to go home to. That's why she's been waiting all this while. If you're seriously gonna keep someone like her waiting, I'm gonna find her another suitor."

Kaneki looked up at him, a weak smile spreading on his face. "Ayato-kun, that's so unlike you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing. Hey, Ayato-kun?"

"What?"

"Hinami has you completely wrapped around her fingers, huh?" Kaneki chuckled, patting Ayato on his shoulder. "I should probably say this just in case. If you ever make Hinami cry, it'll be 206 instead of 103."

* * *

 

They spent a while longer in the cafe, talking about anything and everything under the sun. Well, perhaps not really everything, but with the amount of things they were saying, it's hard to imagine that they weren't. How was there so much things to talk about anyway? Had they really missed out so much in each other's lives? Touka shared her stories about starting up the coffee shop, though she kept silent about what happened in between the death of Anteiku and the birth of :re. Kaneki shared some memories he had while working as an investigator, mainly sharing about the four people he had come to love as family, but even then, there was one particular person he completely left out in his tales. Ayato and Hinami shared stuff too— about Hinami's early days in Aogiri, their training sessions and their missions. They seemed to share the most but it was obvious they were both leaving out an entire episode— the whole issue with Hinami's capture and escape from Cochlea.

Everyone seemed happy and relaxed, but the atmosphere was a mere facade. In the end, everyone was bearing their burdens— some heavier than others, some more than others. The four of them, as close they might seem to strangers passing by, held personal issues and tragedies that couldn't be simply forgotten and left behind by a simple double date.

But, it could help fix it. It could turn things towards a different route— one of healing and redemption.

Back home in :re, Touka decided to make some coffee as Kaneki flipped through some files Tsukiyama had passed to him on his return. Remembering the terrible coffee from the cafe, Touka walked over to place a mug beside him.

"For you, in case you decide to stay up again," she said.

"Thank you, Touka-chan," he murmured. Touka walked over to sit by her side, her fingers rubbing the sides of her own mug. Hinami's words were ringing in her mind. They had given her a small bout of confidence earlier on, but when she was alone with Kaneki, she felt it fade to nothingness. Kaneki reached over to take a sip from his mug, before putting his files down and turning his body to face her. "Ayato-kun told me something just now."

"Huh?"

"He told me to man up," Kaneki said. "So... Touka-chan, I hope you don't mind if I..."

Kaneki gulped. reaching over to cup her face with his hands. Touka realized that despite being in the cafe for quite some time, Kaneki's fingertips were cold. More in some sort of worried instinct, Touka reached over to place her hands over his. Her hands were warmer, though she awarded it to making coffee and wearing gloves when she was out. Kaneki smiled slowly before leaning forward. He moved at a pace that was far to slow for someone as impatient as her to accept, but Touka was simply too taken aback by his sudden act. It didn't occur to her that he was doing anything important until his lips met hers. It didn't occur to her how close they were until she felt his arms move to wind around her and his body pushed against hers. She didn't notice herself reacting to it until much later as well. At some point in time, her hands had move to his face, her body was leaning forward and her tongue was pressing back against his.

He broke away a little to regain some air. But as that happened, he got up, lifted her up slightly and pushed her to lie onto the counter. He leaned over her and moves his face closer to her again.

"I've missed you, Touka-chan," he murmured, right before pressing his lips to hers.

"I've missed you too, shitty Kaneki," she replied.

"Touka-chan, do you think that... we can go out again? This time, just us?" Kaneki asked.

"I don't know... Isn't our King too busy for that?" Touka laughed, winding her arms around his neck to pull him close. They were sprawled out on the cafe counter. Anyone could easily see them. Someone could be walking outside. Someone could come down from upstairs. But somehow, Touka couldn't seem to care less. There was something about holding Kaneki in her arms and having him finally within a reach that seemed to negate every possibly negative thing that had happened and could happen. Who the fuck cares if Nishiki saw this and teased them non-stop? Who the fuck cares if Tsukiyama walked in and spent the next few days crying over losing Kaneki-kun to Kirishima-san? Who the hell cares about anything when Kaneki was not only there, but also grasping the hand she had been so desperately reaching out with.

"Touka-chan, I think a King should always make some time for his Queen," Kaneki whispered.

* * *

 

"Mission accomplished."

Hinami flashed Ayato a grin with her thumbs up, before climbing into bed and crawling into his arms. Ayato didn't really need Hinami to tell him though— when he put his mind to it, he could hear their entire conversation as well as the undesirable noises of them making out in the cafe.

"Do you think they'll be fine, though?" Ayato sighed, resting his chin on the top of her head. "I wonder if they're just acting like that because of what we said instead of doing it because they really want this."

"I think deep down, both of them just really want to be close to each other and they just needed a little push," Hinami replied. "They'll be fine."

"I sure hope things go smoothly from here on," Ayato sighed.

"Ayato-kun?"

"Yeah?"

"You sound more worried than me."

"Hinami?"

"Yeah?"

"Sometimes you should just shut the fuck up."

Hinami giggled, looking up to meet his soft gaze— a look she had barely seen on his face in his time in Aogiri but was becoming increasingly common lately. He pushed himself away from her, only to crawl over her so that his body was hovering above hers. His arms and legs were pressed onto the bed at each side of her body— she was completely enveloped by his presence. Hinami grinned at him, reaching over to cup his face.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I'm annoyed that I didn't get to be as close to you as I wanted to. It's fucking Valentine's' Day and all I did was hold your hand," he grumbled.

"You were the one who refused to do anything," Hinami insisted.

"It's not like I'm gonna do anything when my sister and that half-ass are looking at us. I'd get myself half-killed," he complained. "But we're alone now so I hope you're prepared."

Hinami giggled. "Ayato-kun, I was prepared the moment today started."

**Author's Note:**

> I meant to post this here earlier on but I forgot and ended up procrastinating. I've been working on a multi-chapter Ayahina fic, so look forward to that!


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